Le Bandit Slot Review (Hacksaw Gaming)

This 100 Spin test was updated by Steve Madgwick on 31/08/2023 

The Spin Test criteria can be found at the bottom of the page

Test Comments

The 100 spin test of Le Bandit slot began with a 30.6x win on the very first spin with a couple of tumbles and the rainbow collector symbol dropping and the collector cash pot landing on the first reveal - It could not have gotten off to a better start and that win contributed to a session that saw the average return per 'winning' spin hit 1.89x for a session RTP of 58.6%

As you can tell, outside of that first spin, very little else happened. Yes, there were subsequent 30 'wins' but their combined value was not as big as the first one - meaning taking that first spin out, just 0.93x was the average winning spin!!

I didn't hit the bonus although it baited twice. This is hacksaw, bonus free spin rounds are few and far between and super volatile when they do eventually come in, but take note, this wasn't a bad session but still only returned half of the cash invested.

Le bandit looks pretty aggro most of the time but he has the odd light moment, such as when his moustache disguise suddenly falls and he (almost) looks quite loveable. The game info tells us to ‘tame his unscrupulous side, and there's ample treasure to be shared amongst plucky inner-city dwellers.’ So let’s see if this crowbar-wielding raccoon has a sharing-caring side or not.

In addition to the Super Cascades feature already mentioned, there’s also a superb feature called Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow Bonus. Here you’ll find the game’s top-tier free spins round which gives you 12 free spins, continuous Golden Squares and guaranteed Rainbow Symbols on every single spin. 

Right then peeps, let’s continue with our in-depth Le Bandit slot review. You’ll be able to read about all aspects of this new release. 

Graphics, Music, and Sound Effects

Opening the game you’ll see the background image of a shadowy Parisian back street. On the reel imagery you’ll spot French-related images such as a bag of baguettes, a wheel of fromage and a pint of beer (or une pinte as they say in France).

The background music is traditional French music that wouldn't be out of place as you sit and sip an espresso in a Parisian cafe. The music ups the tempo slightly in the bonus round to reflect the different parts of the game. Sound effects include laughing, chatting and the simple hum of inner-city life where traffic noises feature heavily.

Right, now that I've covered the summary, intro, graphics, music, and sound effects. Next, I will tell you about the key game features. This will help you decide if Le Bandit is for you or not. 

At OLBG we create slot games reviews which include up-to-date info about essential features such as themes, paylines, reels, bet ranges, and bonuses. Don't go anywhere if you want to find out about our first impressions and expert verdict.

Theme – Crime - Paris

The game appears to be set in 1920s Paris.  The background image shows an early Ford-type car  parked up in the sepia-coloured Paris backstreets and La Bandit wears a baker-boy hat. The image presents a rubbish-strewn Parisian backstreet. Having recently visited Paris during a refuse-worker strike I can say that not much has changed in nearly 100 years!

In the foreground, on the reel imagery, you’ll see the special symbols which in order of value go like this, top hat, baguette, beer, cheese and a trap. This is followed by the regular symbols of A, K, Q, J and 10 where each symbol holds the same value.

Special symbols include a rainbow, coins four-leaf-clover, a pot of gold and an FS Scatter Symbol which is depicted by a polaroid camera image.

Reels

The Le Bandit slot game has 6 reels and 5 rows.

Paylines

When playing Le Bandit you’ll see it’s a cluster pays game which means that there are no paylines like there are on traditional slot games. Winning combos are possible when 5 or more adjoining symbols on the grid are triggered.

RTP

Return to Player or RTP as it’s more commonly known is a way of measuring what percentage of stakes are returned to players over the long term when playing a slot game. It’s represented by a percentage that’s usually somewhere between 94% and 96%. The Le Bandit RTP exceeds the average at 96.35%.

Like many slot providers, Hacksaw Gaming offers different RTP rates to their providers. In this instance, their highest rate is the 96.35% figure mentioned above. This is followed by 94.23%, 92.17% and 88.36%. You’ll need to shop around to find the best RTPs but do not fear. We’ve already done the hard work for you and have listed a few sites and their percentages in the table below.

It’s worth pointing out that there’s more than RTP to think about when deciding where to play. Factors such as payment options, game library, customer support, welcome bonuses and deals and mobile optimisations are also important considerations. Our casino reviews analyse these things and much more.

If, like most players nowadays, you want to try out a few games you should check this page we’ve created with the slot sites we recommend. These sites feature hundreds of titles that UK players can launch straight away.

Stake Range

There is a bet range which starts at £0.10 and goes up to £100 which should cover most player’s requirements. 

Max Win

The max win for this game is a decent 10,000x of your stake.

Wild Shape

Look out for the Wild reward poster on the reels as this can substitute for any regular paid symbol.

Free Spins

There is not one but trois bonus rounds up for grabs when playing Le Bandit. These are all triggered in the base game by the FS Scatter Symbol which is the polaroid camera image.

Firstly there is The Luck Of The Bandit Bonus which is triggered when 3 FS Scatter Symbols land. Here, Golden Squares remain highlighted between spins until they're activated by a Rainbow Symbol. Retriggers are also possible, 2 FS Scatter symbols give you an extra 2 spins and 3 FS Scatter symbols give you 3 more. And there’s good news if you land 4 FS Scatter Symbols. You’ll be upgraded to the All That Glitters Is Gold Bonus round which leads us nicely to our next point.

The All That Glitters Is Gold Bonus is next on the free spins list. This is triggered by 4 FS Scatter Symbols which gives you 12 free spins. During this round, all Golden Squares remain highlighted throughout the entire bonus round and can be activated again (and again)! Look out for the all-important Rainbow Symbol dropping to make the most of the Golden Squares.

Thirdly, we have the Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow Bonus round. This is Le Bandit’s top free spins round. Here, if you land 5 FS Scatter Symbols you’ll enter the round to get 12 free spins. What is so special about this round you may ask? Well, all highlighted squares remain illuminated. And a Rainbow feature is guaranteed to land on every single spin. 

Jackpot

Like the majority of slot games nowadays, Le Bandit doesn’t have a jackpot element. If jackpot games are your cup of tea you should visit our page with the best jackpot slot games.

Play Experience & First Impressions

The sepia colours used in Le Bandit match the vintage look that a few of the Hacksaw Gaming titles have. This is a positive as usually I’m a fan of Hacksaw Gaming games.

I’m going to start the Expert Verdict with the aspects of the game I enjoyed. My favourite feature was the Golden Squares. Here, every position that’s involved in a win is highlighted with a Golden Square (once the symbol disappears from the reels). If a Rainbow Symbol is present on the same spin all Golden Squares are then activated. This leads to these positions receiving coin values from Bronze to Gold, or alternatively one of two special symbols: Four-Leaf Clovers and Pots of Gold. Bronze Coin Symbol multiplier values range from 0.2x to 4x, Silver Coins offer values worth between 5 and 20x and Gold Coins bring values worth up to 500x. These coins are a fantastic feature and I’m seeing more and more of these across slots sites.

The free spins bonus rounds were fun, especially with the added elements of continuous Golden Squares and the Rainbow Symbols.

The 10,000x max bet is a decent amount and matched with the medium volatility of the game means a good balance of play.

The game was straightforward which is great when you want an effortless play and personally I’m a fan of cluster pays games so this was a thumbs up in my book. 

Now onto the things I wasn’t so keen on. I found the theme a bit confusing, I saw aspects of the French theme -  a Parisian back street, Le Bandit saying the odd French word and a bag of baguettes. I know the cheese was supposed to be French however, it didn't look very French to me but maybe I’m being too niggly. There were plenty of Irish references too - lucky clovers, pots of gold, rainbows and La Bandit’s leprechaun disguise. It felt as if Smokey Le Bandit was a bit confused about his identity, or maybe he has dual nationality.

There wasn't much of a story for this game which is a shame as the storytelling element really adds to the experience. In the intro I asked if the ‘crowbar-wielding raccoon has a sharing-caring side or not’ and to be honest I’m not sure. But I’m guessing, probably not.

Would I recommend Le Bandit? For the bonus features I’d say yes, give it a try. If you’re after a straight-forward game it’s definitely worth a go but don't expect much suspense from the story and theme.

Le Bandit slot review was written by the OLBG Slots Content Team, beginning with Andrej Trajkovski, who has worked in the online gambling industry since 2013, playing and reviewing online slots and casinos daily for the past four years. 

Contributing to the review was Jake Ashton, a slots fan who is also part of the casino and sports betting team here at OLBG and Jenny Mason with Online Casino, Bingo and Slots Experience from over 15 years in the industry. 

The review is Fact Checked by William Westerlund, an online casino expert reviewing casinos and slots for over five years, and published by Steve Madgwick, our Editor-In-Chief with over 18 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting and Casino content for OLBG & multiple other publications and a self-confessed online slots fans who has played at 100's of the best slot sites online and completes the Spin tests.

100 Spin Test Criteria

The 100 Spins test is undertaken on a demo slot, staking 100 spins at £1 per spin

Session RTP - Return to the player after 100 spins - Eg, A return of £45 from 100 spins is 45%, or a return of £107 is 107%

Win Frequency - A winning spins to spins frequency, higher frequency regardless of prize, is often more entertaining.

• 0-10 Very Low
• 11-15 Low
• 16-30 Medium
• 21-35 High
• 36+ Very High

Biggest Base Game Win  - Highest single base game spin winning value

Spins to Bonus - How many spins were completed before the main bonus round was achieved

Bonus Paid - Value of bonus once complete

Time Taken  - How long did the 100 spins take to complete?